Letter to the Editor:

It is refreshing to see that the Grand Old Party (GOP) is making Minnesota’s First Congressional District a race worthy of backing, with the goal of replacing incumbent Democrat Tim Walz in 2018.

In his more than 10 years in Congress, the voters in the First Congressional District have been told what they want to hear by Walz when he comes home to stump. However, if you research his voting record, you will find that he does not, in any way shape or form represent the wishes of the majority of his constituents. He has voted for Obama initiatives like amnesty for illegals, support of sanctuary cities, implanting refugees in Minnesota communities from countries with known anti-American sentiment or direct radical Islamic beliefs with little or no vetting, Obamacare, Environmental Protection Agency regulations that hurt all Minnesotans and late-term abortion on demand.

Jim Hagedorn was outspent last cycle 4-1 and yet was only narrowly defeated by Walz in one of the closest races in Minnesota history, 50.3 percent to 49.6 percent. While a certain amount of money is required to run a campaign, the more important issue is knowing who your candidate really is and showing up to the polls to support them.

While we don’t have a voting record for Hagedorn to scrutinize yet, we certainly have that option for Tim Walz. The voters of the First Congressional District need to start actively participating in government. You may not take an interest in government, but rest assured, government takes an interest in you. This district is predominantly conservative. If you truly hold those beliefs, do your due diligence and look up the voting record of Walz and ask yourself if he is someone you should be supporting.

Elected officials, at every level of government, work for you. Private sector companies don’t keep workers that don’t do their job. Why do we continue to let elected officials keep theirs?